Margit Rigmor Sahlin (1914–2003) was a pioneering Swedish Lutheran priest. On

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...

, 10 April 1960, she became one of the first three female priests in Sweden when she was ordained by Archbishop Gunnar Hultgren in the Saint Catherine Foundation chapel at

Österskär Österskär is eastern part of Åkersberga, Österåker Municipality in Sweden. It hosts the terminal station of the Stockholm suburban railway Roslagsbanan. The area is located in a hilly peninsula between Tunaviken and Sätterfjärden northwes ...

near

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. The same day Ingrid Persson was ordained in Härnösand Cathedral and Elisabeth Djurle in

Biography

Born on 6 May 1914 in Stockholm, Margit Rigmor Sahlin was the 12th and youngest child of the schoolteacher Enar Sahlin and Ragnhild Nettelbladet. She was the granddaughter of Carl Yngve Sahlin who was the rector of

Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...

from 1876 to 1889. After matriculating from the

Wallinska skolan Wallinska skolan (Wallin School) or Wallinska flickskolan (Wallin Girls' School), was a girls' school in Stockholm, Sweden. Active from 1831 to 1939, it was one of the first five schools in Sweden to offer serious academic education and secondary ...

in Stockholm when only 17, she studied at Uppsala University where she graduated in romance languages, earning a doctorate in 1940. Thereafter she read

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

, graduating in 1943. While still at university, she attracted considerable attention when she published an article in the Christian journal ''Vår Lösen'' calling for the ordination of women. When the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

ended in 1945, Sahlin travelled widely in Europe. She was inspired by the religious communities she visited in Taize, France,

Iona Iona (; , sometimes simply ''Ì'') is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaeli ...

, Scotland, and

Assisi Assisi (, also ; ; from ; Central Italian: ''Ascesi'') is a town and comune of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Prope ...

in Italy. She hoped to join the church but at the time women were not admitted as priests in Sweden. In 1948, she became active in the Women's Church Council which led to the founding of Saint Catherine's Foundation (''S:ta Katharinastiftelsen''). She was the principal contributor to the foundation which began her life's work. Despite strong opposition, in 1958 the Church of Sweden resolved to permit women to be ordained as priests. Sahlin became one of the three women to request ordination. On Easter Sunday in 1960, she was ordained in the Saint Catherine Chapel by Archbishop Hultgren. In 1970, she became the rector of Engelbrekts församling in the diocese of Stockholm, so becoming Sweden's first female rector. Margit Sahlin retired in 1979 but remained active in the Saint Catherine Foundation until her death in Stockholm on 1 March 2003. She is buried in

Uppsala Old Cemetery Uppsala Old Cemetery () is a cemetery in Uppsala, Sweden. In July 2024, about 20 grave sites at Uppsala Old Cemetery were vandalized (overturned gravestones, broken grave lanterns and destroyed flower arrangements). Notable burials * Greta A ...

Selected publications

In addition to contributing to journals, Sahlin wrote several books, including: *1950: Sahlin, Margit, ''Man och kvinna i Kristi kyrka'', Diakonistyrelses Bokförlag *1959: Sahlin, Margit, ''Ordets tjänst i en förändrad värld'', Svenska Kyrkans Diakonistyrelses Bokförlag *1980: Sahlin, Margit, ''Dags för omprövning'', Proprius *2000: Sahlin, Margit; Åhlstedt, Madeleine, ''S:ta Katharinastiftelsen ett 50 årigt trosäventyr'', Stockholm

Biography

Selected publications

References

Further reading